Rotary self-starter.



2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Patented Apr. 15, 1913.

IMIMIIIII IIIIIIIIIIIIINH E. Jl: THU'RBER.

RFOTARY SELF STARTER. Arrmoulon FILED Aim. 2a, 1912.

1Q @y WIT/VESSES: jmp/m06 y INVENTOR E. J. THURBER.

ROTARY SELF STARTER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. z3, 1912.

2 SHEETS-BHEET 2.

Patented Ap; 15, 1913.

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NITED STATESPATENT I EDWARD J'. THURBER, 0F NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA, ASSIGNOR T0 THURBER ROTARY STARTER C0., INCORPORATED, OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 15, 1913.

Application led August 28, 1912. Serial No. 716,634.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, EDWARD JET-WEBER, residing at New Orleans, in the parish of Orleans and State of Louisiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Self-Starters, of which the following is a specification. i

My invention relates to the art of internal combustion engine starters, and the invention primarily has for its object to provide a simple, compactly arranged, self-contained and inexpensive starting apparatus of a neat appearance that will not take up any unnecessary room or add much weight to the power plant.

The invention is primarily designed for use on automobile and marine engines of the gas engine type and the invention generically embodies in one compact structure, a fluid operated starting rotary engine and a train of reduction gears of the planetary type together with an automatic clutch device for operatively connecting the starter with the driven shaft ofthe internal combustion engine, the clutch being of the selfreleasing type whereby as the engine speeds up beyond that of the driving element of the clutch, the starter will become automatically disengaged from the gas engine shaft.

My invention also makes provision for the use of a starting crank directly connectible to the engine shaft, when desired, as for the starter becomes inoperative.

More subordinately, the invention includes those novel details of construction, combination and arranffementof parts, all of Whichwill be first fully described, then be specificall pointed out in the appended claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1, is a central vertical longitudinal section of the invention. Fig. 2, is a cross section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3, is a section on the line 3-3l'of Fig'. 1. Fig. 4, is a section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5, is a detail perspective view4 of the gripping end `of the crank. 4

In the drawings, in which like lettersand frame r"we annular rim 3 that is dis osed eccentrically with relation to the shaft caring 2 to form,

5, the piston chamber of the rotary engine.

To the rim 3, the outer face plate or cover 5, is fastened as at 7. The cover lhas-a bearing 6 and the starter shaft 10 is mount-- ed in the bearings 2 and 6. The opposing faces of the cover 5 and'l web `each have an internal annular flange 8, the flanges 8 being disposed eccentrically to the shaft 10. 44 is the rotor, which consists of the .inner web that fits between the flanges 8 and is keyed as at 11 to the shaft 10; it also includes the annular flanges 45 which are arranged concentrically to the shaft 10. The rotor is slotted at 9 to reiceive the pistons 12 which areof the T form and include shoulders 13 to vride on t-he flanges 8 and reciprocate in the slots 9.

14 represents the fluid inlet which communicates with the fluid feed pipe 15, the spent lfluid exhausting through the outlet 16 and exhaust pipe 17. The starter. is supported by its base 18, which mayybe fastened to some fixed partof the bedy of the machine; on which it is to be used.' The main frame 1 also includes a rim 4 von the side opposite the rim 3, therim 4 being of greater diameter than the rim 3 and the rim 4 is disposed concentrically to the shaft 10. r1I`he shaft 10 extends beyond the eenA tral web of the rim and carries a pinion 19 which is connected to it at 20.

21 are the planetary gears thatturn on stub shafts 22 carried by the web 1 and the gears 21 continuously mesh with the pinion 19 and with the internal rim gear 23 that isfastened at 25 to the disk 24. The disk 24 has an offset portion 26 to form a recess 27 that receives the clutch side plate 28 Vwhich is bored to turn on the non-toothed extension 46 of the pinion 19. 29 is the other clutch side plate that is secured to turn with the plate 28, and with the driven shaft clutch element 32 by screw bolts 38. The side lates 28--29 each vhave a ball vrecess 30 f or the reception of the bearing vballs 31. The offset portion 26 of the disk ,24 is bored to receive the clutch element 32,

and itself serves as ne of the clutch elementsf The; clutch element 32 has pockets 39 'to containthe clutch rollers 40. In order to lubricate the gears 21-23, etc., the frame 1 has av lubricant bore 41 to which suitable lubricant maybe fed from a cup 42.

'or other motive fluid is admitted into the pipe 15, it enters the rotor chambei1 and starts the rotor 44 in motion. The motion of the rotor 44 is transmitted, through the shaft 10 and pinion 19, to the planetary gears 21 and by them the motion is transmitted to the rim gear 23 which turns the disk 24-26 in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 2. The shaft 35 being at this time at rest., the rollers 40 will creep along the inclines of the pockets 39 to act as wedges and cause the clutch elements .3Q-26 to be united, as it were, whereby the motion of fthe disk will be transmitted to the shaft 35 and start the engine into operation. As soon as the speed of rotation of the shaft 35 exceeds that of the disk Q4-QG, the rollers 40 will creep back in to the deeper portions of the pockets or recesses 39, and the clutch elements 26-32 will become automatically disconnected. yT he transmission `gearing of the starter is covered by a cap plate 48 which is secured at 50 to the rim 4, the plate-48 being recessed to receive the disk 29 and the offset portion 26 and it is also provided with a shaft bearing 49 that is counter-bored to receive the non-toothed portion of the clutch element 32.

From the. foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it is thought the complete construction, operation arld advantages of my invention willbe readily understood by those skilled in the art to which it appertains.

lVhat I claim is:

1. In a starter, a main frame including a cent-ral web having. a shaft bearing and side annular rims, one of which rims is eccentric and the other is concentric to said bearing, a cover plate secured to said eccentric rim to form a rotor chamber, a rotor and its pistons mounted within said chamber, means for admitting working fluid into said chamber and exhausting it therefromsaid cover plate having a bearing, a driving shaft mounted in said bearings and carrying said rotor, a second cover plate secured to said concentric rim to inclose a transmission chamber, said second cover plate having a shaft bearing, a driven shaft mounted in said last named bearing and power transmitlting gearing within said transmission cham:

ber for operatively connecting said shafts together. n

2. In a starter, a main frame yincluding a y e5 central web having a shaftjbearingand side,`

annular rims, one of which rims is eccentric and the other is concentric to said bearing, a cover plate secured to said eccentric rim to form a rotor chamber, a rotor and its pistons mounted within said chamber, means for admitting working fluid into said chamber and exhausting it therefrom, said cover plate having a. bearing, a driving shaft mounted in said bearings and carrying said rotor, a second cover plate secured to said concentric rim to inclose a transmission chamber, said second cover plate having a shaft bearing, a driven shaft mounted in said last named bearing and power transmitting mechanisms for operatively connecting said shafts together, said transmit-ting mechanism including a train of gearing.

3. In a. starter, a main frame including a central web having a shaft bearing and side annular rims, one of which rims is eccentric and the other is concentric to said bearing, a cover plate secured to said eccentric rim to form a rotor chamber, a rotor and its pistons mounted within said chamber, means for admitting working fluid into said chamber and exhausting it therefrom, said cover plate having a bearing, a driving shaft mounted in said bearings and carrying said rotor, a second cover plate secured to said concentric rim to inclose a transmission chamber, said second cover plate having a` shaft bearing, a driven shaft mounted in said last named bearing and power transmitting mechanisms within said transmission chamber for operatively connecting said shafts together, said transmitting mechanisms including a `train of gearing and a self-operating clutch.

4. In a starter, a support including an eccentric and a .concentric rim with an internal partition web having a shaft bearing and located between said rims, covers secured to said rims to form respectively a rotor chamber on one side of said partition and a transmission chamber on the other side of the same, said covers having sha-ft bearings, a driving shaft and a driven shaft mounted in the aforesaid bearings, .a rotor .within said rotor chamber on said driving shaft, transmission gearing and a clutch device within said transmission chamber for transferring` the power of said driving shaft tosaid driven shaft.

5. In a starter, a support including an eccentric and a concentric rim with an internal partition web having a shaft bearing and located between said rims, covers secured t0 said rims to form respectively a rotor chamber on one side of said partition and a transmission chamber on the other side of the same, said covers having shaft bearings', a driving shaft and a driven shaft mounted in the aforesaid bearings, a rotor within said rotor chamber on sald drivin shaft, a transmission mechanism and clutc `and located between said rims, covers se- 15 cured to said rims to form respectively a rotor chamber on one side of said partition 'and a transmission chamber on the other side of the same, said covers having shaft bearings, a Vdriving shaft and a driven shaft mounted in the aforesaid bearings, a rotor within said rotor chamber on said driving shaft, a transmission mechanism and clutch device within said transmission chamber for transferring the power of said driving shaft to said driven shaft, said transmission mechanism and clutch device including a driving pinion on the driving shaft,v intermediate gears carried by said partition to mesh with said pinion, an internal rim gear meshing with said intermediate gears, a disk for earrying'said rim gear, said disk having an offset clutch element forming portion, a clutch element on said driven shaft, side disks secured to said last named clutch ele` ment to embrace said offset portion, and connecting elements between said clutch elements.

7. In a starter, a support including an eccentric and a concentric rim with an interna] partition web having a shaft bearing and located between said rims, covers secured to said rims to form respectively a rotor chamber on one side of said partition and a transmission chamber on the other side of the same, said covers having shaft bearings, a driving shaft and a driven shaft mounted in the aforesaid bearings, a rotor within said rotor chamber on said driving shaft, a transmission mechanism and clutch device within said transmission chamber for transferring the power of said driving shaft to said driven shaft, said transmission mechanism including a driving pinion on the driving shaft, intermediate gears carried by said partition to mesh with said pinion, an internal rim gear meshing with said intermediate gear, a disk for carrying said rim gear, said disk having an offset clutch element forming portion, a clutch element on said driven shaft, side disks secured to said last named clutch element to embrace said offset portion, said side disks and said 0H- set portion having coperating ball races and balls held therein, and self-releasingconnecting elements between said clutch elements.

8. In a starter, a support including an eccentric and a concentric rim with an internal partition web having a shaft bearing and located between said rims, cover's secured to said rims to form rcspectivelya rotor cha1n ber on one side of said partit-i'on and a transmission chamber on the other side of the same, said covershaving shaft bearings, a

driving shaft and a driven shaft mounted in the aforesaid bearings, a rotor within said rotor chamber-on said driving shaft, a transmission mechanism and clutch device within said transmission chamber for transferring the power of said driving shaft to said driven shaft, said transmission mechanis-m and clutch device including a driving pinion on the driving shaft, intermediate gears carried by said partition to mesh with said pinion, an internal rim gear meshing with said intermediate gear, a disk for carrying said riln gear, said disk having an olfset clutch element forming portion, a clutch element on said driven shaft, side disks secured tosaid last named clutch element to embracesaid odset ortion, said side disks and 'said offset portlon having cooperating ball races and balls held therein, self-releasing connecting elements between said clutch elements, said pinion having a smooth projection, one of said side disks being boredto receive said smooth projections, one of said cap plates having a counterbore portion and said driven shaft clutch element having a smooth bearing member to project into said counterbore portion, and means for feeding lubricant. to said gearing.

EDIV. J. THURBER. Witnesses:

N. CURTIS LAMMOND, A.V E. DIETERICH. 

